Mumbles Junior School, 1958

My brother came to stay with us last night, opened his phone and said, "Do you remember this?" I can't remember the occasion at all but I am sitting on the front row 4th from the left! The dress was navy velvet! The girl on the far right in the Welsh costume is my cousin, Ann Schropfer. Ann and I, (Denise Hargreaves) were at the school from 1956 until 1960.

I recognise all the faces, but unfortunately cannot name any of the boys. In our class were Hugh Rees, the butcher's son, Colin Presdee, David Barrington and Nicholas Whitford from the shoe repairers and later the shoe shop but I don't know if any of them is pictured.

I think the girl to the left of me in the picture is Judith Davies and sitting between Ann and me,I think, is Janet Rushton. Unfortunately cousin Ann died several years ago so I can't ask her for help, although her brother still lives in Mumbles. Judith died in the Sixties in a car accident, which was very sad.

I have really happy memories of the school, particularly Miss Woollacott's class. There was a coal fire in her classroom and in the winter we put the milk crate by the fire to melt the frozen milk. Our class play was "A Christmas Carol" and I was the narrator. She gave us music lessons in which we had to sing scales and at lunchtime Miss Woollacott would send Ann and me down the village to do her shopping! That wouldn't be allowed now!

Ann Schropfer lived in Upper Church Park and we were living with my grandparents in Oakland Road. Later we Hargreaves moved to Sketty and I travelled to school in Mumbles on the bus until I went to Glanmor in 1960. I was only at Glanmor for 3 years. We then moved to Birmingham where I have remained most of the time since.

My mother's family moved to Mumbles from Swansea in the 1930's. She travelled to Glanmor on the Mumbles train to Brynmill and then walked up the hill to school. Many members of her family lived in Oakland Road and I remember my great grandparents who lived on Overland Road. They both lived into their nineties and died in the Sixties. My mother Olga Hargreaves (nee Rees) will be 100 in 2 weeks time!

I shall enjoy reading more of your website now that I have found it. Life in Mumbles in the Fifties and Sixties was a very happy time. I have a picture of me in the Brownies which I will try and find and send to you. We had a float in the Mumbles Carnival and we also put on a Brownie play in the hall between Boots the Chemist and the Front.

I remember having to leave The Tivoli during "The King and I" because the high tide flooded the auditorium! I can also remember visitors to Mumbles asking me to read out the destination of one of the buses in the bus station - Cwmrhydyceirw!

Thank you for bringing back such happy memories.

Denise Large (née Hargreaves) who was at the school from 1956 until 1960